What Are Those Blue Sea Creatures Coming to SD?

“Don't touch them unless you know for sure this is what you're dealing with,” She said. “They look very similar to Portuguese man-o'-war, and those have a pretty powerful punch as far as sting goes. So it's just really better to stay away from them and just look at them and let them be.”

Moffat said once the Velella velella make it to shore, they are dead or dying.

Nevertheless, their eye-catching color has raised the curiosity of beachgoers.

“I had no idea what it was,” said Tom McKissick. “I understand it's from the jellyfish family or something but it doesn't sting. So, it's a friendly jelly fish.”

Northern California was the first to see the sea creatures rolling in by the hundreds last month. Researchers say they feed on zooplankton and fish, and their natural predators are snails.